Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that the state government will soon roll out a dedicated bamboo industry policy aimed at creating a robust and sustainable market ecosystem for farmers. The announcement was made at a two-day conference, ‘Bamboo for People, Planet and Prosperity: Green Gold, Green Energy, Green Earth’, held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Nariman Point, on the occasion of World Bamboo Day, reports Deccan Herald.
“Bamboo offers farmers stability and greater climate resilience. Unlike crops such as cotton or soyabean, which are vulnerable to erratic weather, bamboo requires minimal care once planted and provides long-term security,” said Fadnavis. He praised the efforts of veteran politician Pasha Patel, known as the “Bamboo Man of India,” for promoting bamboo cultivation as a people’s movement.
The CM emphasized that market systems, demand-supply linkages, and value-chain structures need strengthening for farmers to truly benefit. He called for research to develop bamboo varieties that can be harvested in two years, rather than the current three, and suggested intercropping bamboo with Napier grass to boost productivity. Bamboo products will also be integrated into the state procurement policy to provide assured markets.
Fadnavis said bamboo cultivation will be promoted in districts with energy projects, serving as biomass fuel, and large-scale plantations will be developed on government wastelands. “Bamboo cultivation will be implemented on a mission mode across the state, with support similar to MGNREGA,” he added.
Patel highlighted bamboo’s role in combating climate change and reducing dependence on fossil fuels, calling the conference a milestone for sustainable solutions. Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jaiswal described Patel’s mission as a source of pride for the state.
MITRA CEO Pravinsingh Pardeshi added that the conference aims to convert discussions into actionable projects. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will fund Rs 4,300 crore for bamboo cultivation, research, and industry development, with two-thirds allocated for implementation in four to five districts over the next four to five years.
